Buddhism in Translations - § 65. The Six High Powers.

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p. 303

§ 65. THE SIX HIGH POWERS.

Translated from the Âkankheyya-Sutta of the Majjhima-Nikâya (i.34¹⁰).

   "If a priest, O priests, should frame a wish, as follows: 'Let me exercise the various magical powers,--let me being one become multiform, let me being multiform become one, let me become visible, become invisible, go without hindrance through walls, ramparts, or mountains, as if through air, let me rise and sink in the ground as if in the water, let me walk on the water as if on unyielding ground, let me travel cross-legged through the air like a winged bird, let me touch and feel with my hand the moon and the sun, mighty and powerful though they are, and let me go with my body even up to the Brahma-world,'--then must he be perfect in the precepts, bring his thoughts to a state of quiescence,

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practise diligently the trances, attain to insight, and be a frequenter of lonely places.

   "If a priest, O priests, should frame a wish, as follows: 'Let me hear with a divinely clear hearing, surpassing that of men, sounds both celestial and human, far and near,' then must he be perfect in the precepts, etc.

   "If a priest, O priests, should frame a wish, as follows: 'Let me by my own heart investigate and discern the hearts of other beings, the hearts of other men; let me discern a passionate mind to be passionate, let me discern a mind free from passion to be free from passion, let me discern a mind full of hatred to be full of hatred, let me discern a mind free from hatred to be free from hatred, let me discern an infatuated mind to be infatuated, let me discern a mind free from infatuation to be free from infatuation, let me discern an intent mind to be intent, let me discern a wandering mind to be wandering, let me discern an exalted mind to be exalted, let me discern an unexalted mind to be unexalted, let me discern an inferior mind to be inferior, let me discern a superior mind to be superior, let me discern a concentrated mind to be concentrated, let me discern an unconcentrated mind to be unconcentrated, let me discern an emancipated mind to be emancipated, let me discern an unemancipated mind to be unemancipated,' then must he be perfect in the precepts, etc.

   "If a priest, O priests, should name a wish, as follows: 'Let me call to mind many previous states of existence, to wit, one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, one hundred births, one thousand births, one hundred thousand births, many destructions of a world-cycle, many renovations of a world-cycle, many destructions and many renovations of a world-cycle: "I lived in such a place, had such a name, was of such a family, of such a caste, had such a maintenance, experienced such happinesses and such miseries, had such a length of life. Then I passed from that existence and was reborn in such a place. There also I had such a name, was of such a family, of such a caste, had such a maintenance,

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experienced such happinesses and such miseries, had such a length of life. Then I passed from that existence and was reborn in this existence." Thus let me call to mind many former states of existence, and let me specifically characterize them,' then must he be perfect in the precepts, etc.

   "If a priest, O priests, should frame a wish, as follows: 'Let me with a divinely clear vision surpassing that of men, behold beings as they pass from one existence and spring up in another existence; let me discern the base and the noble, the handsome and the ugly, those in a higher state of existence and those in a lower state of existence undergoing the result of their deeds. So that I can know as follows: "Alas! these beings, having been wicked of body, wicked of voice, wicked of mind, slanderers of noble people, wrong in their views, acquirers of false merit under wrong views, have arrived, after the dissolution of the body, after death, at a place of punishment, a place of suffering, perdition, hell; or, again, these other beings, having been righteous of body, righteous of voice, righteous of mind, not slanderers of noble people, right in their views, acquirers of merit under right views, have arrived, after the dissolution of the body, after death, at a place of happiness, a heavenly world." Thus let me with a divinely clear vision, surpassing that of men, discern beings as they pass from one existence and spring up in another existence; let me discern the base and the noble, the handsome and the ugly, those in a higher state of existence and those in a lower state of existence undergoing the results of their deeds,' then must he be perfect in the precepts, etc.

   "If a priest, O priests, should frame a wish, as follows: 'Let me, through the destruction of depravity, in the present life and in my own person, attain to freedom from depravity, to deliverance of the mind, to deliverance by wisdom,' then must he be perfect in the precepts, bring his thoughts to a state of quiescence, practise diligently the trances, attain to insight, and be a frequenter of lonely places."